Skate



' UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOHN MCCLUSKEY, JR., OF SOUTH BOSTON, MASSACHUSETTS.

SKATE.

Specication of Letters Patent No. 25,665, dated October 4, 1859.

To all whom it may concern:

Be it known that I, JOHN MCCLUSKEY, Jr., of South Boston, in the county of Suffolk and State of Massachusetts, have invented a new and Improved Skate; and I do hereby declare that the following is a full, clear, and exact description thereof, reference being had to the accompanying drawings, and to the letters of reference marked thereon, in which- Figure l represents a side view of the skate applied to the foot. Fig. 2 is a plan or top view of the same, with several parts shown in dotted lines.

Mv invention consists in making the skate so that the toe-strap Vmay have a longitudinal adjustment upon the runner and provided with an adjusting screw for fixing it at any desired point, adapted to the size of the foot.

It also consists, in conjunction with the toe-strap made longitudinally adjustable, in hinging the heelsstrap and plate to the rear end of the runner and fixing it rigidly to the runner, .when the skate is on the foot, by a spring catch or thumb screw, as hereinafter described.

To enable others skilled in the art to understand lny invention I will proceed to describe its construction and use.

' The runner, A, will be made of cast steel, and the straps, B O, will be of brass composition, each piece being cast separate. The runner is cast with a dove-tail upon its upper surface, extending along a short distance, as represented by ca a, and upon this I slide the toe-strap, B, the bottom of the plate, D, of which has a longitudinal groove corresponding to the dove-tail into which it fits. The toe-strap is capable of a longitudinal adjustment upon the runner, A, for adapting the skate to feet of various lengths.

IThe plate, D, is provided with a set screw,

(Z, for lixing the toe-strap rigidly to the runner when set in the desired positions.

The heel-strap, C, consists of a heel plate, E, with flanges e e, which project down from the plate, and fit closely to each side of the runner, A, and having a vertical curved heel piece, F, with a semi-circular clasp, Gr, on its upper end. These are all cast in one piece, and jointed to the rear end of the runner, as shown at 7, Fig. l, and secured in place, when the skate is on the foot, by a spring, G, which catches into a notch in the side of the runner, A, or by a screw, h, either or both of which may be used at pleasure.

By detaching the spring from the runner, which secures it to the heel-strap, it places the strap in an open position, or thrown upward and backward as indicated by the red lines of Fig. l; when it is required to put the skate on, the foot is first put into the toe-strap, which is previously adjusted to the length of the foot, then the heel naturally finds its position upon the lower portion of the heel-strap which it presses forward and downward to its proper place upon the runner, to which it attaches itself by means of the before-mentioned spring, G; the upper part of the heel strap, at the same time, grasps the foot below the ankle, and without causing the slightest inconvenience or unnatural pressure-a source of complaint in skates heretofore in use-secures the skate firmly to the foot.

The skate is perfect without the screw in the heel plate, which is only introduced for the assurance of those persons who might feel themselves insufficiently secured by the spring alone.

Should it be found necessary in the manufacture and sale of my skate to make the semicircular clasp, G, adjustable in order to adapt it to the ankle, this can be readily done by making a slot in the vertical heelpiece, F, and attaching the clasp, G, to 1t by means of a set screw.

That I claim 'as my invention, and desire to secure by Letters Patent. is

The jointed heel-strap, C, as set forth, 1n combination with the toe-strap, B, when the latter is made longitudinally adjustable upon the runner, A, substantially as specified.

JOHN MCCLUSKEY, JR.

Witnesses:

THo. WILL. CLARKE, FRANCIS J. NICHOLLS. 

